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[brucephipps]

While my house was being renovated a few months ago, new wiring was put in along with a new consumer unit. This was arranged as a split load, with an RCD connected to MCBs for the cooker, kitchen sockets and two ring mains. There are a couple of issues that puzzle me though. Firstly, the ring main for the kitchen sockets also includes those for the bedroom above the kitchen. Is this normal practice or is it a possible wiring error? Secondly, I would have thought the hot water boiler would have it's own MCB, but it appears to be wired in, via a fused switch, as part of one of the two ring mains. Again, is this normal, or should there be a separate MCB?

I'd appreciate anyone's comments.
Thanks

[kbrownie]

Hi brucephipps,
it is now becoming good practise to install kitchen cables on there own circuit, do to all the appliance now in there, but not unusual to find them on a ring main connected to other outlets elsewhere.
But again i'd expect upstairs and downstairs.
Boiler ok.
Regards
KB

[brucephipps]

Thanks kbrownie

It just concerned me that having shutdown both MCBs for the 2 ring mains and believing all sockets, except the kitchen, were off, I find that one bedroom is still live. I checked my electrical certificate and it does say this, but there's no indication on the consumer unit.

Thanks
Bruce

[aspguitars]

Hi! I agree, it is normal for circuits to be split between upstairs and downstairs. However in some bungalows, circuits are split from front to back. To make life easier, it is usual to wire houses in the ring up, ring down. Lights up, lights down manner. As mentioned, because of the amount of electrical items used in the kitchen these days, kitchens are often a circuit on their own. Lights should be split so that if one circuit goes out the other circuit should remain in tact for safety issues.
It is usual for an immersion heater or boiler to be wired in on a separate circuit, usually on a 15 or 16 Amp fuse. But for ease of wiring they are often wired from a fused spur, taken from the ring main. Hope this helps
Ade

[kbrownie]

Hi again
The CU should be clearly labeled indicating what breaker is connected to the any given circuit this does need addressing and your right to be concerned.
Ask your sparky to sort this problem out, draw attention to the fact that it is on the certs but not on the CU and that you do not want to invalidate the certs by marking it up yourself, you would appreciate it if he could sort this small problem out.
Regards
KB

[333rocky333]

Do you mean the sockets are still live ,plug something in and go through all mcbs till you find the one for that room ,then read what it is labeled as and what size mcb ,he might have just labeled it up wrong or the room is on its own circuit,seperate to the two other rings.